The Eight Plagues
by Isis Lied
Summary: AU Shiemi Moriyama is a lowly commoner born into a land of pestilence and war. At her wits end, she joins a ragtag group of teens known as the 'Blue Exorcists' who plan on overthrowing the King of Baal. But nothing, of course, is ever that simple. Torn between loyalty and love, what will she do to bring about a truce to the land? Amaimon/Shiemi Rin/Izumo Mephisto/Shura


The Eight Plagues  
AU Shiemi Moriyama is a lowly commoner born into a land of pestilence and war. At her wits end, she joins a ragtag group of teens known as the 'Blue Exorcists' who plan on overthrowing the King of Baal and returning prosperity to the land. But nothing, of course, is ever that simple. Torn between loyalty and love, what will she do to bring about a truce to the war-ravaged land? Shiemi/Amaimon Rin/Izumo Mephisto/Shura

Warning: Slight OOC-ness in the beginning. Very AU. All characters are human. Mentions of blood/gore and violence.

Major pairing: Amaimon/Shiemi

Minor pairings: Mephisto/Shura and Rin/Izumo

Genre: Angst, Horror, Romance, Suspense, and the occasional bit of Comedy

* * *

Chapter 1- Plague of Earth

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With trembling hands, the blonde scooped up one final layer of soil, letting the grains crumble through her fingers in a steady stream. Running a dirt-covered hand over her brows, she gazed solemnly at the stone tablet in front of her. The name Shiemi Moriyama had been chiseled crudely into the stone without even a simple epitaph. She had planted white chrysanthemums near the grave, a single soft petal landing on the edge of the stone in the swift breeze.

The dagger in her other hand seemed almost too heavy, weighed down by the burden of its purpose. She let out a bitter laugh, shutting her eyes as her voice echoed in the cold night air. There. It was better this way. This darkness. This silence. No more screams. No more visions of skeletons piled on top of one another to be wheeled away and forgotten forever.

With resolve in her eyes, she slid into the deep grave, taking in what she assumed would be her final shallow breaths. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears as she placed the blade to her chest, bristling at the feeling of cold metal against her bare skin. Tears welled in her emerald orbs, dripping down the contours of her face. Memories bubbled to the surface in the moments before she brought the dagger down, a lifetime of pain and regret culminating into an early demise.

_Shiemi, sweetie, you have to live. For us. We love you and will always watch over you, remember that. Promise me that you'll fight. That you won't give up, even when it seems like the end._

_I'm sorry, mother, father... that I couldn't keep my promise._

The dagger bit harshly into her flesh, glinting dangerously in the setting moonlight. Blood pooled against her too-pale skin, trailing down the white fabric of her dress in a flash of scarlet. Her tear-streaked vision caught a sudden shadow in front of her, blurry and rapid in its descent. It covered her body entirely as her consciousness faded, swallowing her in a world of darkness.

"Mom...?" She breathed.

Silence followed.

* * *

"What do you mean you found her in a grave?!"

"Don't tell me you did something to her. And here I thought you were better than Shima."

"H-hey! I'm not that bad of a person!"

"Right..."

"I swear she was like this when I found her! I didn't do anything!"

"Everyone, quiet down. She's waking up."

Pale eyelashes fluttered open, confusion clear in their jade depths. Furrowing her brow, the woman slowly sat up from the makeshift cot.

"...So this is the afterlife?" She questioned, voice laden with disbelief. She hadn't expected to be greeted by a bunch of strangers when she passed over. They seemed nice enough, but she needed to find her parents and apologize to them—

A chorus of chuckles followed her inquiry, confusing the poor girl even more. When did ghosts laugh? Shouldn't they be sadder that heaven or wherever this was looked like a dump?

"W-what are you talking 'bout? This is the kingdom called Baal." A blue-haired boy with cobalt eyes replied, flashing a wide grin.

A boy with brown hair and glasses spoke up after him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Rin, be considerate. My apologies, miss. My older brother can be a bit... off-putting at first. He means no harm, however, regardless of what his speech or mannerisms imply."

"H-hey! What're you saying?! I'm totally a nice guy. Isn't that right, uh..." He trailed off, looking at the blonde expectantly.

She stammered out a reply, looking hesitantly at the moth-bitten floorboards, "I-I'm Shiemi Moriyama. W-who are you guys?"

The blue-haired boy went to speak only to have his brother shove a hand over his mouth. "We're called the _Blue Exorcists_. My name is Yukio Okumura, and that over there is my brother, Rin. Now, I'm curious. Shiemi-san, why did nii-san say he found you in a grave? I'm afraid I can't tell you anymore about our organization until you tell us more about yourself."

"Why was I in a grave…?" She trailed off, memory fuzzy. Focusing, she remembered the coldness of the dagger against her skin, followed by a flood of memories.

"I—I was done with this life. I'm done with all this sickness and sadness a-and death." Shiemi mumbled out, pulling her legs up to her chest. The group's gaze softened. They had all felt like her at one time or another.

The room lapsed into a sorrowful silence until Rin gave a shaky laugh, ruffling the woman's blonde locks. "It's okay! We're all tired of having the king ignore us! That's why we're planning a rebellion!"

Yukio immediately glared at his twin, resisting the urge to jab him harshly in the side.

"What the hell, Okumura?! I knew you were dumb but this is ridiculous! You can't just blab about something like that; we can be killed for even talking about rebelling!" A boy with a blonde streak in his hair fumed, crossing his arms indignantly.

Rin stuck out his tongue at him. "Shut up, rooster! I told her cause I want her to join us!"

"You can't just decide these things on your own, nii-san." Yukio observed, turning to the rest of the group.

"Where's Shura?" He started, only to have the door to the small house open loudly. A woman with red hair and lilac eyes stormed in, carrying what appeared to be an expensive bottle of alcohol.

"I'm here, I'm here. No need to get yer panties in a knot, scaredy-cat four eyes. I just went to get a couple of drinks!"

The bespectacled man sighed, swiping the drink from the woman. "This isn't what I meant when I said go out and buy supplies."

"It is for me! 'Sides, I stole it; we didn't lose any money!" She cheered, quieting down when she noticed the stranger on the cot.

"Hmm? Who's this?"

"Ah, my name is Shiemi Moriyama and—"

"She's a new recruit! I found her!" Rin interrupted, garnering a few exasperated sighs.

"I've told you this before, you can't go deciding things on your own—"

"I like her. I can tell she has some spunk. Why don't ya have her do a mission with me? I'll keep her safe and we can see if she'll be beneficial or not." Shura chimed in, grinning widely at the blonde.

"No. Absolutely not—"

"I would really like to help. King Baal has ruled long enough." Shiemi interrupted, a new sense of determination in her eyes. These people, they were like her. They wanted their lives to change. It wasn't like she had anything left to lose. Even though the odds of them truly overthrowing the king were nearly nonexistent, it was _something_.

For the first time in years, Shiemi Moriyama had hope.

* * *

"Brother, there are villagers at the door again." A green-haired man called out. He stood in front of a panel of glass, cerulean orbs trained to the mass of people currently swarming the courtyard of the castle. Bringing his fingers into a circle, he made makeshift binoculars, boredom fueling his eccentric behavior.

"Really? It's only been a few days." Mephisto remarked, stepping towards the window.

A sea of villagers dressed in dull rags flooded the immaculate courtyard. Women with babies and men who looked close to death pounded futilely against the wooden doors, screaming for an audience with the king.

"Help us!"

"We're all starving!"

"How could you abandon your people?"

Mephisto narrowed his eyes at the rowdy crowd, face twisted in contempt. "So noisy; do you think some of these peasants will be fed to your pets, Amaimon?"

"Possibly. Behemoth hasn't eaten a good meal in a while." He observed, biting his nail. His pet wolf could use a few human bones to chew on, he realized, watching the crowd with barely a hint of interest. The prince almost turned away from the window only to pause, a blur of gold catching his attention.

The women seemed to reflect the light around her, a golden halo setting itself above her head. Her skin shone near alabaster in the mid-morning sun as she slid through the mass of people. Slowly, she crept to the front of the crowd before darting into the nearest bush.

Amaimon's eyes widened marginally in curiosity. What was this women planning, sneaking around the castle? She was obviously no assassin; her awkward and jerky movements as she hugged the edge of the brick walls were a tell-tale sign of her inexperience. Yet, there was a spark of determination in her emerald orbs. A flame that flickered in the dim monochrome of a usually boring world. She was like a flash of color in a relentless flood of black and white. A flash of _life_.

The green-haired prince continued to watch until she disappeared around the side of the castle. There was only one place she could get into without a key. Standing up, Amaimon languidly walked towards the door, hands stuffed in his pockets. He remained emotionless, thoughts focused on the task at hand even as Mephisto stared at him with interest.

"Where are you going, Amaimon?" His older brother questioned, forest green eyes furrowed in confusion. The boy never took interest in the crowds before; sure, he didn't mind feeding a few of the peasants to his 'pets' but for him to show genuine interest... well, it was surprising. What other reason would the young prince have to leave the room so abruptly then to torture the villagers?

"I'm going for a walk in the garden. You can play with the villagers today." Amaimon replied in his usual monotone, grasping the golden doorknob.

"I see." The purple-haired man replied, knowing the prince well enough to know he was lying. Still, he let the boy leave the room without a struggle. It was interesting to see what exactly his little brother would do. When fueled by interest, Amaimon could get very... reckless. It was a certainly a sight to behold. Mephisto quite enjoyed seeing the usually stoic and cold prince become a tornado of emotion and movement, even if he returned to his emotionless facade moments later.

Mephisto chuckled to himself, watching the crowd of peasants be scared away by armor-clad guards. Really, to be a prince of Baal was an honor; it was like having a front row seat to the greatest tragedies in history. He could imagine every life-story now. Perhaps the man with a child on his shoulders was a widower, losing his only wife to disease or childbirth. His eyes glanced over to an elderly woman who stood right in the thick of the crowd, serpentine veins evident even from the prince's bird's eye view. She was most likely a woman who never married, either due to family misfortune or own personal will. And now, near the end of her life, she would risk anything because she had nothing left to lose.

Ah, it was so much fun! It was such a shame that the guards had to send them away. Mephisto found most of his amusement from watching fellow humans, observing their behavior and mannerisms until he was sure he could get them to do what he wanted— given the right push. Because, for him, life was nothing but a grand game. A game that he wanted to be a spectator of, forever.

Now, as he moved a pinstriped armchair to the center of the large window, his eyes drifted to a new person. She looked to be around his age, with fiery red hair mixed with rebellious yellow streaks. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of lilac, highlighted by the sharp angles of her cheeks. She had a tight frown upon her lips, shoving people away until she made it to the front of the crowd. Her ponytail swished angrily as she banged loudly on the door, a stream of curses passing her lips.

"Oi, King of Baal! Why don't you get off yer sorry ass and talk to our faces?! I won't allow a king who won't even confront his subjects to rule! Listen here, King, this is yer last warning! Help the denizens of yer land or lose everything ya hold dear!" She spoke bitterly, wrestling out of the grip of a guard. Mephisto chuckled loudly at her outburst, clutching at his chest with glee. No one in their right minds would ever threaten the king!

The lithe female gracefully jumped on top of the stone wall surrounding the castle, smirking at the guards whose swords could not reach her. Running across the ivy-covered wall, she led the guards away from the crowd, sneering all the while.

_What an interesting woman_, Mephisto thought once his laugher had settled, sitting in his chair. He smiled to himself. If she survived taunting the king today and came back again to the castle he would definitely arrange a meeting. It had been so long since he saw anyone with such spirit!

* * *

The blonde pushed open the gate, surprised to find it unlocked. The hinges creaked as she winced, holding her breath in anticipation. Skimming her surroundings, she saw that the garden was empty and exhaled.

She knew she was supposed to be searching for weak points in the king's castle, but the array of flowers had her transfixed in awe. Fields of marigold and poppy sprinkled the rich soil, canopied by sprawling willow trees. A marble fountain lay in the middle of the intricate maze of flowers, casting bright rainbows in the sun's heavy glare.

Resting a hand on the nearest tree, Shiemi shook her head, resolve returning to her emerald orbs. She was here for a reason, not to admire the king's garden! Taking a step forward, she went to walk back to the open gate, only to hear the rusting of leaves above her. Looking upward, she met the cold gaze of a man with dark green hair.

"S-stay back!" The blonde yelled, pulling out a dagger from the folds of her clothes. The man blinked at the motion before jumping down, red coat fluttering out behind him.

"Are you going to use that dagger?" He questioned, stuffing his hands in his pockets before languidly moving towards Shiemi. She took a step back, willing her hands to stop shaking. It took all her will power to not run from the stranger.

"T-that depends. Who are you?" Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke, hoping silently that the man didn't notice. He frowned in response, suddenly stilling.

The boy felt no reason to lie. "I am Amaimon, second youngest son of the king." He replied, light blue orbs flickering to the dagger at her side. It was obvious that she had no intention of using it.

"Are you going to report me to the king?" Shiemi held her breath, waiting for the prince's response.

"…Maybe."

Whether it was out of sheer frustration or fear, the blonde brought her hand upward, slapping Amaimon squarely on the cheek.

The prince brought a hand to the mark, eyes wide in surprise. An even deeper coldness seeped into his glacier orbs as he spoke darkly, "That wasn't very nice…"

* * *

A/N: Ooh, looks like Amai-kun and Mephy are starting off as antagonists! I wonder how this will go :P More will be explained in future chaps, so stay tuned. And, as usual, thanks for taking the time to check out this story!

**Review?** Every review goes towards getting Amaimon an actual pair of binoculars XD

P.S. Suggestions for Rin and Yukio's little group of misfits/rebellion would be wonderful. Seriously. I don't wanna have to call them the Blue Exorcists all the time; it sounds campy -.-'

-Isis


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